The Film Music Festival will include Round Table Discussions with the Film Composers in Attendance at the Festival. At The Prospector, the Film Music Festival hosted day-long Round Table Discussions with the Composers in attendance at the Festival.

MASTER CLASSES

During 2011 The afternoon sessions were moderated by composer Tuomas Kantelinen, composer and producer of the winning film THE ITALIAN KEY. Composers in attendance were able to screen their projects for each other and share their work and comments/critiques with their peers.

Past Seminars - Scroll Down

Left to Right: Emmy award winning composer Kurt Bestor, music supervisor Michael Rogers, world-renowned film composer/arranger/orchestrator and 2012 PCFMF guest of honor, Conrad Pope, award-winning film composer Vincent Gillioz, award-winning sound designer and sound editor Jim LeBrecht, and award-winning film composer Jeffrey Gold at the Roundtable Panel of the 2012 Park City Film Music Festival.

FILM MUSIC SEMINARS

The 2005 Park City Film Music Festival seminar was hosted by composer Mark Northam of the Film Music Institute (LA).

The 2006 Park City Film Music Festival masterclass was hosted by world-renowned composer, orchestrator, and arranger Conrad Pope (orchestrator and arranger for John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, and many other film composers) and the seminars were hosted by sound designer and sound editor Jim LeBrecht of Berkeley Sound Artists, Emmy award-winning composer Kurt Bestor, award-winning film composer Vincent Gillioz, award-winning film composer Jeffrey Gold, and Music Supervisor and writer for Film Music Magazine, Michael Rogers.

Something that can interest directors and composers, as well as present all the different functions of the music in a film, but in a fun way. A two hour film scoring class with a compilation containing 17 excerpts, very interactive, fun, and educational, covering the basics like what is source music and an underscore, and go as far as the very unusual use of music in Godard's "Pierrot le Fou".

Sounds and images form a film, that is to say that the score is an integral part of its film and can not be treated as a separate entity. There is no specific musical training required to be able to follow, understand, and enjoy this seminarâ€"it is designed for anybody, movie buffs, film directors, and composers. We will introduce the multiple functions of the music in the Western narrative cinema through the main approaches in legendary movies. Excerpts will be shown and analyzed (from Thelma & Louise, Batman, Breaking the Waves, Blade Runner, Tex Avery's Cartoons, Awakenings, Godard's Pierrot Le Fou, commercials, etc.). The class will cover the most elementary aspects of film music and the most refined manipulations as well.
We will cover the following subjects:

I. Physical function
a) to support of the visual, such as in cartoons (mickey-mousing)
b) to locate the environment, Example: The Abyss (new age style, electronic music, to illustrate the sea world)
c) to evoke the culture of the movie, Example: Kama Sutra (use of ethnic scales, instrumentation,...).
d) to evoke the period, Example: Tous les Matins du Monde (use of Renaissance music)

II. Psychological function
a) to evoke what a character feels at a non-verbal level (something not visually perceptible), Examples: Awakenings, North By Northwest, Vertigo,...
b) to mislead the audience in a certain direction to create a surprise, Example: To Kill A Mockingbird
c) to control the emotional atmosphere, Example: Psycho
d) to target a certain social class, in advertising it is very present, listen to the music they play with a sports car, or with a family car...
e) to suggest a philosophical level, Example: Dead Man Walking's Indian score.

III. Structural function

Music can support the architecture of a movie different ways.

a) Entering into the world of the movie. The music usually opens a movie and then allows the audience to "enter" the movie to be put in the appropriate mood. In the 30's and 40's, it was not uncommon to end the opening title on a suspensive note that would give the impression that the music is "unfinished", it gives a propelling quality to the movie at that moment, it pushes the interest of the audience further. They, then, are waiting for some kind of conclusion, that will not come until the very end of the movie. Example: The Sea Hawk.
b) Continuity. Music provides continuity to different cuts, or different scenes, related or notâ€"the music unifies them. Such as in Kansas City, the supporting music of a scene becomes, without stopping, the music played live in a bar in the next scene. The musical can also provide continuity on a wider scale, movies after movies; for instance, the James Bond franchise is connected through its very recognizable main theme, whereas the actor playing the main character has changed many times over the years.
c) Leitmotiv. The association of a theme/motive with a character of a movie. First it gives a continuity to the movie, but through the different variations of the leitmotive, it also allows the audience to draw some conclusion regarding the evolution of the characters, their relation to each other, or within a context. Example: The Red Violin.
d) The notion of time. The music can impregnate a peculiar rhythm to a movie, the ethereal score of Vangelis for Blade Runner alters our notion of time. Same for Philip Glass's score to Koyaanisqatsi.

Seminar with award-winning film composer, guitarist, and author Vince Lauria

Saturday, January 20, 12:00-2:00 PM - 2007 PCFMF Film Music Lounge

Pop Music Progressions, Cues, and Digital Recording 101

1. Common pop song structures
2. How to approach creating movie cues
3. Basics of digital recording and common techniques
1. Common pop song structures

Songs studied in class:

Earth Angel by Penguins (1950's)
Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan (1960's)
Let It Be by The Beatles (1970's)
Every Breath You Take by the Police (1980's)
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana (1990's)
Complicated by Avril Lavigne (2000's)

Drawing on a background in Science (Physics, Mathematics), Storytelling (Playwriting, Screenwriting), and Film Music, Jeffrey Gold will host an informal roundtable discussion with filmmakers and film composers who wish to discuss the structure and finer details of good storytelling:

and any other subjects those in attendance wish to broach. If you are going to lay music on top of this animal called film, it might be useful to know of what that animal consists (fur, leather, feathers, or scales?).

Panel Discussion with award-winning film composer Dennis Dreith

Friday, January 26, 1:00-3:00 PM - 2007 PCFMF Film Music Lounge

The Art and Business of Film Scoring

Composer Dennis Dreith (The Punisher, gAg) will host a rare "HANDS ON" panel discussion covering both the creative AND business sides of composing...learn first hand how Dennis' creates his unique music and also learn the nuts and bolts of licensing and publishing your music.

When do I need to get a license?
What kind of license do I need?
What is a synchronization license?
How is that different form a master recording license?
Can the change the lyrics?
How do I go abut getting the license?
How long does it take?
What about union fees?
What is a sound-alike?
How do I know if a composition is in the public domain?
Why can't I license a song I want to use?